A multi-category approach to basic chemical raw materials, coupled with centralized procurement, is driving the green and high-quality development of the fertilizer industry.

In the process of modern agricultural industrialization, fertilizer production heavily relies on three basic chemical raw materials: soda ash, chlorides, and sulfates. A one-stop centralized procurement service for 42 series chemical raw materials breaks down barriers between upstream and downstream production and sales, establishing a multi-category raw material supply system. This drives the fertilizer industry towards high efficiency, green practices, and customization from the raw material supply perspective.

At the raw material application level, the division of labor is clear: chlorides provide the core nutrients of nitrogen and potassium; ammonium chloride and potassium chloride are core raw materials for chlorine-based compound fertilizers. Sulfates supplement trace elements such as sulfur, magnesium, and zinc; ammonium sulfate and zinc sulfate are widely used in the production of sulfur-based special fertilizers and micronutrient fertilizers. Soda ash controls the pH value of the solution in the fertilizer synthesis process, assists in purifying the finished fertilizer product, and removes production impurities. These three types of raw materials are compounded according to formulas to form various finished fertilizers. The centralized procurement model allows fertilizer companies to obtain all main materials in one stop, avoiding production line shutdowns caused by shortages of a single raw material and significantly optimizing the efficiency of raw material inventory management.

Significant changes have occurred in the downstream agricultural demand structure. Large-scale planting bases are widely adopting soil testing and formula fertilization, customizing fertilizer formulations based on soil nutrient conditions, driving demand for customized raw materials. The expansion of planting areas for cash crops such as fruits, vegetables, and medicinal herbs, coupled with the increased demand for sulfur-based fertilizers for chlorine-sensitive crops, is steadily driving up the demand for sulfate raw materials. Saline-alkali land improvement projects are supporting the production of improved fertilizers, with soda ash being compounded with modified chlorides and mineral sulfates to create soil conditioners, opening up new applications for chemical raw materials in agricultural soil remediation. During peak seasons for agricultural inputs such as spring plowing and autumn sowing, centralized procurement platforms lock in raw material inventories in advance, ensuring fertilizer companies operate at full capacity during peak seasons and stabilizing the supply to the end-user agricultural input market.

Policies on reducing fertilizer use and increasing efficiency continue to guide industrial upgrading, leading to the rapid emergence of new fertilizers such as slow-release fertilizers and bio-organic fertilizers. The demand for refined high-purity chlorides and refined sulfate raw materials for these new fertilizers continues to rise. Upstream chemical industry environmental upgrades are continuously optimizing raw material quality, resulting in the mass production of low-heavy-metal, high-purity chemical raw materials, facilitating the mass production and implementation of green and environmentally friendly fertilizers. The integration of resources across the entire supply chain through centralized procurement has become a major trend in the industry. Subsequently, the fertilizer industry will continue to link with upstream industries such as soda ash, chloride, and sulfate, and leverage its raw material advantages to continuously develop new agricultural products, thus deeply benefiting from the dividends of large-scale development of modern agriculture.